Community Briefs

Host families sought for program
STAFFORD — Local families are needed to host Japanese exchange students, ages 12 to 18, for four weeks this summer as part of an exchange program sponsored by 4-H. The Japanese students will stay with their American host families from July 22 to Aug. 18, 2009. The program is open to families with children close in age to the Japanese participants. Families without children in the age range will be considered as hosts for adult chaperones from Japan. You don’t have to be involved with 4-H to host; you just need a willingness to share your home and your world. For more information contact Deb Johnson at jdjohn123@aol.com or (540) 659-2697. Also visit ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/japanese.html.

Tickets for wine festival going on sale
MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon’s Wine Festival & Sunset Tour celebrates the history of wine in Virginia with exclusive evening tours of the Mansion and cellar, appearances by “George and Martha Washington”, and live jazz on the east lawn overlooking the scenic Potomac River. Visitors can bring a blanket and relax on the lawn as they sample wines from 17 Virginia wineries May 15-17, from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, please contact MountVernon.org.

UMW to hold Operafest auditions April 18
FREDERICKSBURG — The University of Mary Washington’s Department of Music will hold auditions for this summer’s Operafest on April 18. The auditions will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. in Pollard Hall. Singers should prepare a classical piece for the audition. An accompanist will be provided. Operafest is a fast-paced, five-week course that can be taken as a three-credit class or audited for $300. For more information about Operafest or the auditions, contact Michael Morley at (540) 654-1012.

Bragg Road entrance to shopping center closed
The Virginia Department of Transportation has closed the Bragg Road (Route 639) entrance to Spotsylvania Crossing Shopping Center at the Giant Food Store. The customer entrance to the parking lot will be closed until mid-summer 2009. The delivery entrance off of Bragg Rd. will be permanently closed. Customers will have to use the shopping center’s main entrance located on Route 3 to enter and exit. This closure allows contractor crews to perform the necessary reconstruction work for the new entrance and the improvements to Bragg Road near the Route 3 intersection.

Alzheimer’s Association offers programs in April, May
The Alzheimer’s Association will offer a program from April 23 to May 21 to help deal with the stresses of caring for a loved one who is struggling with Alzheimer’s. All of the classes in the series will be held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursdays at Comfort Keepers (1408 Princess Anne St, Fredericksburg). The series is intended for family caregivers. There is a one-time $20 charge per person for the entire series; resource materials will be given out at each session. Registration is required; to register, call (540) 370-0835 or contact Judy Scheibe at judy.scheibe@alz.org.

Forum on running injuries to be held
Andre Eglevsky of the Center for Orthopedics, and the Human Motion Institute at Mary Washington Hospital is presenting a free forum on running injuries. Eglevsky will discuss tips for getting in shape for the Marine Half Marathon, running physiology and preventing injuries, and dehydration, exhaustion and heat cramps. This event will commence at 7 p.m. in Mary Washington Hospital’s Auditorium 3 on April 2.

Group goes door-to-door to support plan
On Saturday, Organizing for America, the grassroots and volunteer network which came together to help elect President Obama in November, launched a nationwide canvassing effort in support of President Obama’s proposed budget plan. Citizens across Virginia canvassed their communities to let their friends and neighbors know about the President’s plan to invest in America's future, improve health care and education, create green jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and cut the deficit in half over the next four years.

Raise Awareness of Youth Tobacco Use on Kick Butts Day
RICHMOND — As roughly 90 percent of adult smokers begin smoking before the age of 21, the American Lung Association knows the importance of helping youth and teen smokers kick the habit early. That’s why the American Lung Association in Virginia offers Not On Tobacco, a 10-session smoking cessation program for high school teens who are likely addicted to nicotine. The N-O-T program assists teens in making lifestyle changes that lead to smoking cessation. Youths across the United States raised awareness about tobacco use Wednesday, marking Kick Butts Day, an annual event sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. For more information, visit notontobacco.com/index.php.

— From press releases